in which regina just wants to watch a movie in peace
by deathofamockingbird
Summary: Regina Mills is the busy CEO of a multibillion dollar company who just wants to watch a movie in peace. Emma Swan is the smitten cinema employee who won't let her. Written for Day 2 of SwanQueen Week.


Day 2, February 5th is **Movie Night** ; includes first dates, family movie nights, and other situations were Emma and Regina end up watching a movie.

* * *

When looking at a woman like Regina, all expensive suits and pursed lips and no nonsense attitude, the last place you'd expect to find her would be a run down movie theater at ten in the morning. But for her, there was a wonder about the cinema that she'd never quite lost her enthusiasm for. As a child, she had fond memories of sitting on her father's lap at the movies, watching some silly comedy or action filled- but age appropriate- adventure. She loved the big screen, the loud speakers, the drawn quiet or raucous laughter of the viewers around her, smiling and sobbing along with each plot point and dramatic sequence.

The movies were her escape from the life she'd been trapped in, the only concession her mother allowed in the rigorous and challenging life plan she'd created for her only child. Her father's death when she was fourteen put a stop to her weekly outings to the movies, a light snuffed out in her world of darkness. She grew older, following her mother's instruction and moving up in the world of business and stock trading, the magic and wonder she remembered experiencing with her father pushed to the side to make room for the real world.

It wasn't until years later, finding herself outside of a cinema playing some god awful rendition of a remake of a remake, that Regina felt that stirring in the back of her mind, the desire to immerse herself in the large screen and blasting speakers returned. Almost on impulse, she bought a ticket and was seated not five minutes later in the empty theater. The movie itself was terrible, the plot line contrived and the characters entirely unbelievable. And yet, she felt at home, happy for the first time in years.

Being the CEO of a multibillion dollar corporation- especially at only thirty two- meant that her time was both valuable and limited, but she once she'd dipped her toes back into the waters of the movie theater, she couldn't resist. A single concession, she told herself, she could allow herself two hours of frivolity in her otherwise busy and unyielding schedule. It didn't take long for her to determine that Tuesday's were the least busy and earlier showing were almost always completely empty. With that in mind, she gave herself a two and a half hour block of time- of course thirty minutes had to be set aside for commuting and unexpected delays- to watch whichever movie caught her interest at the moment, and let herself relax into the fantasy of the stories on the big screen.

She was three years into her almost ritualistic movie viewing when she stumbled into her life- more specifically- her empty theater. The movie was insignificant, as they often were, but this woman would not allow herself to be as well. Despite the plethora of unoccupied seats, she had immediately taken the seat to Regina's right and, to make it worse began talking to her. This Emma, or whoever she was, rambled on and on about this and that and it took every ounce of her carefully ingrained self control not to fly off at the woman and demand she leave. The girl barely looked over twenty one, and she exuded a sweet innocence that Regina could barely stomach on the best of days.

And then the movie started.

Regina had hoped that this infuriating woman would finally stop talking, yet every few minutes, she was accosted with some inane comments- and worse, questions- about the events unfolding on the screen. She could feel her frustration rising, her fingers itching to knock something over, her lips just waiting to unleash all manner of abuse on the young blonde who had so foolishly invaded the one time in her week that she was able to wind down, when the sounds of laughter cut through the negative thoughts swirling in her head.

"Can you believe that guy did that?"

The blonde woman's laughter was so genuine, so honest, that Regina found herself laughing along. It was as if a load she'd never even known she'd been bearing had suddenly been lifted and the annoying comments and noises that the woman made suddenly weren't annoying at all. It was like she was a child again, crowded into a packed theater, with the audience reacting to everything on the screen as if they were in the movie themselves. Emma reacted to every scene, every dramatic reveal, and Regina found herself doing the same.

When the credits finally began to roll and the lights came up, she was surprised that the smile on her face was almost too wide, and she genuinely enjoyed the experience, beyond the typical sense of comfort the movie theater had supplied. Emma seemed to be enjoying herself as well, singing along with end song, and Regina found herself captivated by the sight, unable to look away for the beaming woman until finally the screen went black.

Realizing how long she had been staring, how awkwardly she was behaving, the brunette suddenly stood up, her gaze shifting to her hands in an uncharacteristic moment of discomfort. The relaxing atmosphere had faded and she felt stiff and uncomfortable as Emma stared back at her, almost expectantly.

Blinking twice, she turned to exit the row, only to stop at the feeling of a hand wrapping around her wrist.

"Same time next week?"

Swallowing thickly, Regina raised an eyebrow in question, as if to ask what in the world made Emma think that they were going to associate with each other at all once she walked out of the cinema.

That at least earned her a sheepish look from the blonde, but Emma had yet to release her wrist, though her grip could hardly be considered confining.

"I just- I actually work here and I noticed you come in every week; same day and roughly same time. You don't really seem to care about what movie you see, and I thought you might like some company." Emma paused, her smile faltering for the first time, before speaking again, this time with a hint of hesitancy in her voice, "So, I'll see you next week?"

Regina should have ripped her hand back, she should have scowled and demanded how Emma had the audacity to think she knew anything about her. She should have gone into full CEO mode and torn the girl into pieces for making any kind of assumptions about her at all. But instead, she only nodded in consent, and was instantly rewarded with a dazzling smile from the blonde, who finally released her. With one last goodbye, Emma shouldered her own bag, checking her watch, before giving an apologetic look and dashing away, though not before turning back with one last wave.

For her part, Regina was still frozen in place, her mind trying to reconcile the last few minutes, Emma's behavior, her own behavior. She was shaken from her musings only as a theater employee with a broom and dustpan cleared his throat awkwardly from the front row. Refusing to show weakness, she barely acknowledge the young boy as she stepped forward, checking her own watch, thankful that the whole ordeal had yet to set her too far back, time wise. As she walked swiftly out of the theater and onto the busy street, easily moving with the heavy foot traffic of the city, she couldn't help but wonder about the woman. What was her angle? Why did this random woman insist on interfering in her life? What was the point of it all?

Regina briefly considered not attending the next week, but she already knew that she wouldn't be able to follow through with that notion. Many people compared her to a dog with a bone when it came to getting answers- it was one of the traits that made her such an effective and efficient business woman. As she stepped into her office, a full six minutes ahead of schedule, she finally acknowledged to herself that she would miss the other woman's presence in the theater if she decided to conduct her weekly viewing at a different cinema, despite barely knowing her at all.

There was no way that she could know that those weekly movie dates would lead to so much more.

When she stepped into the theater the next week, she was met with a wide smile and an inviting face; and again the week after that and the week after that. Their standing movie dates became a staple in their relationship; so, it only made sense that on their 250th movie date- and their second anniversary of officially dating- that Emma finally proposed.

And of course, as in all of the truly great movies, with a wide smile and teary eyes, Regina said yes.


End file.
